Ataxia
by VivalaZebra
Summary: AU Mister J and Harley's everyday lives, Flashbacks fill in the missing pieces.R&R!
1. Chapter 1

_"Make a joke and I will sigh, you will laugh, and I will cry."_

As he lay next to her she sat up on one elbow and looked at his sleeping form. He was motionless and as he was sleeping his face was devoid of hate and anger, opposite of when he was awake. Harley leaned down and nuzzled her nose into his neck, his hair fell in her face and she breathed in deeply. Gasoline, gunpowder, and sweat. His scent. His moral code. She pulled away and after a few seconds of watching him sleep she lightly brushed a strand of dark blond hair, tinted green, out of his face. His breathing lightened but he did not stir. She relished these moments, lived for them, when she could touch him lovingly as she was never able to do when he was awake. Her eyes wandered down his neck and onto his bare chest, it was rising and falling rhythmically, hypnotically. She wanted to lay her head against him, feel his heartbeat under her temples, but that would surely wake him and send him into a rage. She didn't want that, he needed his energy; it was a big day tomorrow. Harley stared at the hand that lies on his chest, following its steady movements. Red and white face paint stained the tips of his fingers. She smiled faintly at the calm, almost childlike innocence in his face, knowing all too well that when he awoke it would be etched with ferocity and anger.

His face was almost clean of war paint; only faint traces of it remained in his hairline. The room was completely silent; the only sound that could be heard was the slight inhale and exhale of breath as The Joker breathed deeply. Her eyes hovered above his scars, she wanted to touch them, kiss them and make it all better, as a mother comforting her child. But that would wake him; she wouldn't dare. Morning was nearing, she wished she'd known that by the small birds twittering innocently outside the window, but there were no birds in the city, she knew it was nearing morning by the digital clock on the bed stand that read 4:03. He'd told her to wake him at seven in the morning, any later and he'd miss the fireworks: he'd set dynamite on the city train's rails and set them to go off at eight-thirty, just in time for the morning commute. He turned his head again and this time he was facing Harley. She put her hand out to brush away a strand of hair that had fallen into his face when he spoke to her without opening his eyes.

"Harley… Stop harassing me, or I'll have to start harassing you." He rolled over so his back was facing her.

"Yes Mister J." Harley said obediently with a hint of flirtatiousness in her voice. She laid silently for what seemed like an eternity and then looked back at him. She was tempted to touch the many scars on his back and she reached out her hand, her fingertips were inches away from his naked skin but she pulled her hand back and turned over so her back was facing his. The Joker could sense her restlessness and lay on his back again, motioning for her to lay on him. He sighed as she squeaked with eager happiness and laid her head on his warm chest. She immediately felt drowsy as his heart pumped steadily beneath her head. She pulled the rest of her naked body closer to his. He didn't pull back and Harley was overcome with joy. He drifted off to sleep and she soon followed.

Harley's internal clock told her to wake up, but she was so exhausted from the night before she just shooed it away. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked at the sunlight pouring in from the window above the bed. She was still lying on The Joker's naked chest and she slowly rose up from him and glanced over to the clock dreamily. It read 9:13. Her eyes bolted awake and she looked at the sleeping Joker, who she knew would be furious at sleeping through his plans. She gently put her hand on his lean yet muscled chest.

"Mister J, wake up." She said timidly, he yawned and sat up groggily. Harley stood up out of bed, pulling the sheet along with her to cover herself up with while preparing her body and mind for what was coming. Harley backed slowly from the bed until she hit the wall, only a few feet away from it. The Joker looked over to the alarm clock and then back at her, he slowly rose out of bed, his eyes never wavering from her. He grew colder and angrier each step he took. Harley raised her hands up in front of her,

"Now Mister J, stay calm…Mister J…" He reached her and held his hand up in front of her face. She closed her eyes and he hit her, sending her crashing down to the floor.

"Harley, now look what you made me do, I've missed all the fun." He said down to her. She lay on the floor, her face obscured by her hair. She didn't cry, just laid there, it wasn't the first time she'd been hit by a man. After he left the room Harley stood up and got dressed. She could hear The Joker watching old black and white Warner Brother's cartoons and as she walked past the room he was in she looked in and saw him applying his war paint. Harley walked into the kitchen and began making breakfast for them and after a few minutes The Joker walked in, dressed in his purple shirt and pants and his deeply brown leather shoes.

"Harley, don't bother, we're leaving." He said to her and then walked out of the room and down the hallway. She followed him into the bedroom and picked his tie up off of the red chair he'd thrown his clothes on last night. Harley walked over to him and looped it around his neck and began to tie it. He stood in front of her, his gaze fixed downward on her determined eyes. She buttoned up his shirt the rest of the way and tightened the knot, turning to grab his jacket off of the floor. She turned back to him and he turned around, allowing her to slip on his jacket. He turned around and put his hands on her hips, pulling her to him. His lips pressed against hers forcefully, and she complied, her fingers running through his hair and gently pulling it. He pulled away and walked out of the room without a word. She followed him out of the apartment and out of the building. They both got into a dark black Escalade and a man sat in the front seat, ready to drive them off to where Joker's current scheme was taking place.


	2. Chapter 2

"Beware the occasion that warrants a new suit."

A man stood by the side of the road in front of a large warehouse and the car pulled over in front of them. The driver got out and opened the door for Harley as The Joker walked up to the idle man. They started talking in violent whispers. Harley followed Joker's arm with her eyes, his hand was beneath his jacket, on a knife. This guy wasn't going to last through this conversation. She caught snippets of their conversation, "_…mob...Jakov…tonight…" _Harley recognized the name, he was one of the big guys in the Russian mob; Joker's latest infatuation. Joker motioned for Harley to go to him, she did and he hung his arm over her shoulders. She was taken aback by this gesture and her heart began to race, suspicious of what he had planned.

"How's she?" Joker asked the man, casually motioning to the girl standing next to him. The man gave Harley a once over and began to slowly nod his head up and down. "Yes, yes, yes. She's just how he likes them. The pickup will be tomorrow at nine. Now where's my money?" The man said in a thick Russian accent. Joker dropped his arm from Harley's shoulders He thrust the concealed blade in his left hand up into the Russian man's torso, hitting under the ribs. The man made a shocking gurgling sound and Harley jumped in surprise when he dropped to his knees. The Joker raised his foot above the man's head and brought it down with a deep crunch of the man's skull. Harley covered her mouth and turned her head away. The Joker heard her gasp and sneered with his crazed smirk.

"Let's go." He said as he walked back to the car, "You have a date to prepare for." He said as he passed by Harley. He opened the door for her and over-exaggerated the movement of waving his hand to show her inside. She climbed in and he slammed the door behind her. When they had been on the road for a few minutes she began to notice that they weren't going back to where they were currently staying. The buildings around the road were getting more and more poshly upscale. Soon the car stopped at a woman's boutique, the driver got out and opened the door for Harley once again. She looked to The Joker questionably.

"You need new clothes." He said as he pushed her out of the car. She landed feet first on the sidewalk and The Joker pulled her door closed from the inside with a smirk. Harley sighed and walked into the boutique. The receptionist looked at Harley and frowned deeply.

"May I help you?" She asked, not looking at Harley, instead fiddling with a pile of hangers that sat on the counter-top. She was in her early sixties and was thinner than Harley was. She had cat eye shaped rimless glasses hanging on the tip of her nose and her hair was pulled back into a tight bun.

"Yeah hi, I have an order waiting here for me?" Harley told asked her.

The woman looked up and smirked at her as if she didn't believe Harley really had one. "Name please?"

"Harleen." She answered, watching the woman flip through a book on the counter.

"Yes, Harleen J. You have one bag, already paid for." She said, "It's in the back, I won't be a moment." Harley nodded dreamily as she thought about the J that was put at the end of her name.

"_Patient 4479; Joker." Harley heard herself say all those years ago when The Joker was just a strange name on a file folder_.

"_Harley, you have to be careful in there. He's been through three psychiatrists already." Her father-like supervisor, Doug Grey told her as they walked down the white Clorox-smelling hallway on their way to the interview rooms. She had already mentally prepared herself for the upcoming hour. It had taken her all night but she had eventually done it. When she entered the off-white room her breath caught in her throat. _

The woman clearing her throat noisily pulled Harley out of her memories and back into reality. She handed Harley the bag and gave her a piece of paper to sign, eager to get her out of the store.. Harley scribbled on it and walked out of the boutique. The driver opened the door for her again and she climbed in next to The Joker and they sped off. Harley set the bag down by her feet.

"Open it, Harley. Get dressed." Mr.J said, still looking straight ahead. "We're dropping you off."

"What, why?" Harley asked, afraid that The Joker had grown bored with her and was going to leave her on the side of the road.

"Because," The Joker said, slightly annoyed at her lack of obedience." You have a date with our Russian friend. You're going to find out his schedule for the next three days." He told her, picking up the bag and dropping it in her lap. She nodded and began taking her clothes off. She saw the driver look in his mirror at her and quickly dart his eyes back to the road before The Joker could see him. Harley pulled out the clothes and frowned.

"What _are _these?" She said looking at the dark colored clothes that sat on her lap. She picked up the dark brown skirt and held it up to her thin hips. It ended just under her butt and the matching top was just as scant.

"You want me to wear _this_?" Harley asked, looking over to The Joker who was licking his lips habitually.

"Jakov will love it, so it stays." He said in that annoyingly charismatic tone.

"Fine." Harley rolled her eyes and replied as she pulled on the rest of the clothes. The car came to an abrupt halt in front of a restaurant and Harley opened the door, stepping one foot out of the car. Joker grabbed her wrist and pulled her to face him, his breath hot on her face.

"From what I hear, this Russian is a charmer." He began, with every word his lips moved closer to Harley's and she looked at him hungrily. " You remember who you belong to." He said as he closed the distance between them and molded his lips to her forcefully. She responded with a slight moan escaping from deep within her. Joker let go of her and she climbed out of the car, fighting off the arousal he had just caused.


End file.
